JP Nadda Urges Life Sciences Sector to Prioritise Patient-Centric Innovation
Union Minister JP Nadda calls for moving from lab discoveries to bedside care at the inaugural Bharat Life Sciences Award ceremony.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Jagat Prakash Nadda, has called upon India’s life sciences industry to place patient-centric innovation at the very heart of its mission. Speaking at the inaugural Bharat Life Sciences Award (BLSA) held at Vigyan Bhawan, Nadda emphasized that the ultimate measure of scientific progress is its impact on human lives.
“True success is not just inventing in the lab, but taking discoveries from bench to bedside,” Nadda stated in a video address. He stressed the importance of ensuring that high-quality medical care remains accessible, timely, and affordable, particularly for the most vulnerable citizens at the end of the queue.
From Global Pharmacy to Global Lab
While India has established itself as a powerhouse in pharmaceutical manufacturing and vaccine production, industry leaders at the event pointed out a critical gap in research and development. Pankaj Patel, Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences and Past President of FICCI, highlighted a stark disparity in the current landscape.
- Disease Burden: India carries approximately 15 per cent of the global disease burden.
- Clinical Trials: Despite the high burden, India hosts only 4 per cent of global clinical trials.
- The Goal: Patel urged the industry to transition from being the "pharmacy of the world" to becoming the "lab of the world."
To achieve this shift, Patel recommended that companies increase their research spending to between 8 per cent and 10 per cent of their revenue.
Strengthening the Bioeconomy and Public Health
The Minister highlighted the success of flagship programmes like Biopharma Shakti and the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme. He noted that the annual cover of Rs 5 lakh under the scheme has now been extended to all citizens aged 70 and above, showcasing how scientific capability can align with public purpose to improve national health outcomes.
Supporting this vision, Manoj Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, affirmed that the Biopharma Shakti scheme would soon expand its support across the entire value chain. A key priority will be reducing the country's dependency on imported raw materials.
Honouring Excellence: Bharat Life Sciences Award Winners
The debut edition of the BLSA, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), saw over 500 applications and provided Rs 7 crore in grant support. The ceremony recognised several outstanding researchers and organisations for their contributions to medical science:
- Ramanujan Arogya Udaan Samman: Awarded to Dr Vamsee Mallajosyula from the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
- Charaka Arogya Samman: Presented to Pacify Medical Technologies for addressing unmet patient needs.
- Sushruta Arogya Samman: Secured by Bharat Serums and Vaccines.
- Nalanda Arogya Vigyan Samman: Won by the BRIC-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics.
- Runner-up Positions: Dr Bharti Bhatia (Translational Health Science and Technology Institute) and the LV Prasad Eye Institute.
- Gaurav Recognitions: Awarded to Sciverse Solutions and Dr Ratnesh Jain.
The summit, which drew over 1,200 delegates, included insights from regulatory experts like Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, who stressed the need to integrate regulatory strategy into core development planning, and NITI Aayog Member Prof Gobardhan Das, who advocated for stronger links between industry and academia to ensure research does not remain confined to laboratories.